The Ulster Defence Regiment was raised in 1970 and played a vital role in the fight against terrorism. This came at a heavy cost; 197 soldiers were killed and a further 58 killed after leaving the regiment.
These deaths resulted in 120 wives widowed; 2 husbands lost wives; 158 children lost a father; 1 child lost her mother.
The local battalion was 5 UDR based in several locations in County Londonderry. 5 UDR lost 27 soldiers while serving, this included William Gordon who was killed alongside his 7-year-old daughter Lesley when a bomb exploded under their car.
13 soldiers were killed after leaving 5 UDR.
On 1st of October at Portstewart War Memorial a plaque honouring the memory of Ulster Defence Regiment soldiers killed will be unveiled and dedicated at 3:00 pm.
1n 1992 the Ulster Defence Regiment merged with The Royal Irish Rangers to form the Royal Irish Regiment. Thus, ending 22 years of active service.
A thought from Stuart
Scripture tells us very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die (Romans 5:7). I don’t know if we would dare to call ourselves good people, but certainly those who gave their lives so valiantly considered their cause to be a good cause. It is right that we show our gratitude, remembering such sacrifices.
The very next verse in Romans 5 goes on to tell us But God proved his love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us… (Romans 5:8) Jesus Christ showed the ultimate sacrifice and the ultimate expression of love when he died knowing we are not good, yet he deemed us worthy.
The sacrifice of brave soldiers throughout history, and through every conflict unfortunately had to be repeated over and over again in order for freedoms to be won and secured, and even today we cannot take those freedoms for granted as war again rages in Europe.
Yet Jesus sacrifice is a once and for all sacrifice, a sacrifice which achieves all its goals, a sacrifice that guarantees our freedom in God, if only we would accept it.
As we rightly remember the sacrifices of the brave at the war memorial, how will we remember the sacrifice of the only righteous one, Jesus Christ? Jesus told us how we are to remember. The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent. (John 6:29)
It is with regret the Kirk Session of Portstewart Presbyterian church receives the news of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
It was on her 21st birthday speech in 1947 the then Princess Elizabeth made this promise:
“I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.”
There can be no argument that Her Majesty kept her word, often putting aside her own hurts precisely because to do so was for the betterment of her people, she set the example in faithfulness in service.
At the heart of what has been an unprecedented reign has been the Queen’s Christian faith. We have watched and listened to her Majesty Christmas after Christmas discovering more about her faith through her speeches. We’ve seen how seriously she took the many services of worship she attended at the great cathedrals not just in the United Kingdom but across the world.
This attendance at worship was more than simply a royal duty, it was a personal choice. She was regular at worship be it at Windsor, Sandringham or Balmoral.
A central plank of her Royal duty has been the weekly audience with her Prime Minster, a role she performed with complete discretion and integrity.
While a country now mourns the loss of our Monarch, a family mourns the loss of a mother and grandmother. Our prayers are with the King and Queen Consort, the Princess Royal, Duke of York, the Count and Countess of Wessex, the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex as well as the wider Royal Family.
It’s been a wet and miserable July and if a visitor were to land in Northern Ireland, they would struggle to know this is our summer. There is of course a very clear reason for believing we are in the middle of summer, A-level, AS and GCSE exam results are out.
Regardless of what grade appears on our results it does not define us.
A grade does not define us
When the envelops are opened it’s important that we understand something of where we get our value. Regardless of what grade appears on our results it does not define us.
Paul writing in Colossians said this:
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Colossians 3: 1-4
The most important thing that can be said about us, is not what grade we get in any given exam, but where our hearts are set, things above where Christ is.
What does define us
The ultimate qualification we ought to seek is the glory that will be revealed in us when Christ returns.
This glory is the salvation of our souls, it is receiving all Christ has done for us on the cross and through his resurrection. This is given to us, not because of an ‘A’ grade, or a grade ‘9’ or whatever else we might get… it is not earned, we don’t revise for it, we’re not tested to see if we are worthy of it. Christ gives to us freely, through faith; we receive this grace when we admit we cannot earn it ourselves and so place all of our hope and trust in Christ.
This is what defines us, this is the only thing in our lives that will have eternal significance.
Set your hearts on things above
To all who get the results they hoped for we offer our congratulations. To those who might be disappointed we offer our sympathies and will do all we can to help you get to where you want to go. But to everyone we say, since you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is… remember the one thing that will last through eternity, Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.
